The Perfect Trattoria in Rome

My friend Katie and I were busy getting lost in Rome when we stumbled, quite literally, across the most incredible little trattoria. It was so incredible that I need to share it with you, so it can be added as a compulsory ‘to do’ on your next trip.

We’d been ambling down the river, walking back from a failed trip to the Vatican (failed because it turns out we actually only saw the museums…), when we came into Trastevere – a cute little neighbourhood of cobbled streets and pizzerias. It started to rain so we dove straight first into the nearest open door, which happened to be the door of La Prosciutteria. As soon as we got under its roof we were enveloped into a hub hub of blaring Beatles music and people chatting around little wooden tables, huddled over boards of antipasti.

It’s pretty tiny and there were no free tables but an old man dining alone motioned that the seats next to him were free. We gratefully sat down and ordered a 10 euro bottle of prosecco. The old man (Antonio) immediately looked up and told us, in no uncertain terms, that our drink choice was a poor one. He then offered to share his antipasti with us and told us, with a heavy Italian accent, that his wife had suffered a fall on their holiday and had broken her nose, so he was having to explore Rome by himself. He regaled us with wine tips, stories about growing up in the Italian countryside and kept scalding us whenever we paused from eating his antipasti – a delicious array of cheese, meats, olives and crostini.

After about an hour he got up to leave, thanking us for the conversation. As soon as the wine connoisseur had left our midst, we quickly ordered another bottle of 10 euro prosecco, which the waitress told us was free, as Antonio had already paid for it.

Glowing with new friendship, we spent the rest of the afternoon sheltering from the rain, ordering more antipasti and sipping on cheap (and perfectly nice) prosecco. The music was brilliant, the food incredible and the wine great value. A large glass of house wine cost a mere 2.50 euros.

If I’m lucky enough to go to Rome again, I’m pencilling another afternoon at La Prosciutteria into my itinerary. And you should too.